Blank Oblivion
by The Orange Coconut
Summary: AU. Alternate Universe. -Chapter 4- Kenshin never ran into Misao. Misao never searched for Aoshi. What happens when Aoshi returns to Kyoto after his journey with Kenshin under these circumstances?
1. Chapter 1

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Blank Oblivion

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Chapter 1

By: Fallen Virtue (a.k.a. AJ)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Rurouni Kenshin characters. I am merely using the character for my own imagination.

Notes/Summary: This is AU (Alternate Universe) fanfiction. If that's not your taste, then you probably didn't read the summary. Kenshin never ran into Misao. Misao never searched for Aoshi. What happens when Aoshi returns to Kyoto after his journey with Kenshin under these circumstances?

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It had been a long time since he had last set foot in Kyoto. As Aoshi Shinomori walked through the bustling streets, he couldn't help but noticed how peaceful it seemed. His adventure with Himura was long over and he yearned to see what had become of the other members of the Oniwabanshu. It had been so long since he left and he was sure that they heard many rumors and stories about him. Would they forgive and accept him for his failure to keep his comrades alive?

His thoughts strayed back to the time when he was training between life and death. He had lost his soul and taken the path of chaos. He had thrown everything away so he could defeat Kenshin and gain the title of "strongest". He was even willing to throw away his life. Even if he beat Kenshin.

_Aoshi's hard, corrupted eyes stared back into Himura's. Kenshin was bruised and battered. Blood dripped from the two small slices on either side of his neck and from the corner of his mouth. As Kenshin gripped one of Aoshi's kodachi, blood soaked his hand and trailed down his arm. Aoshi had no wounds. None except for the one Kenshin struck against his mind._

"Aoshi! Beshimi... Hyottoko... Shikijo... Hanya...why are you blaming them for the way you are?" As Kenshin said as Aoshi's eyes widened a bit. Here was someone who he acknowledged as a man, not just a swordsman, trying to bring him back to reality. "You would take your life once you've defeated me? You have no will to live. Has your spirit gotten that weak?"

Weak? Aoshi's eyes widened. Here he was, fighting Kenshin to prove who was the strongest and he was being called weak. He could only continue listening to Kenshin's reasoning. "Hanya, Beshimi, Shikijo, and Hyottoko would be ashamed of you. They sacrificed their lives to save yours. Don't make their lives meaningless by throwing yours away!"

Aoshi smirked at the memory. He had promptly punched Kenshin in the stomach, but he had realized his mistakes. Despite that, he still fought Kenshin. He lost. He was glad.

Aoshi looked straight ahead in the bustling streets as he walked in the direction of the Aoiya[1]. He was wearing his trench coat outfit with his kodachi's[2] hidden underneath it, not wanting to attract unwanted attention. He just want to see those that he left: Okina, Okon, Shiro, Omasu, Kuro, and Misao. He remembered the days training with everyone and teaching Misao how to become a ninja. _Ah, Misao-chan, you're all grown up now_. Aoshi thought. _I've been gone long_. However, he had a sense of dread creeping over him on the unfortunate news he would bring of the four fallen Oniwabanshu members.

Pushing his thoughts away, he stopped and turned to face his destination. For once in long time, Aoshi was taken aback with shock. What once stood as the Aoiya, was now a building of rotten wood. The entrance was completely gone, only nailed planks of wood covering the entrance. On both floors there were large holes in the walls with drapes half-heartedly covering them. The former restaurant now took on the semblance of a haunted house. The thought caused a shiver to run up and down his spine. _What happened_? Aoshi grimaced, wondering if all of the Oniwabanshu but himself were now just a forgotten legend.

A bright rainbow colored ball brought him out of his thoughts and rolled into his vision. He slowly turned his head and followed it with his eyes as it rolled through a dark hole in the wall. Two small children, a boy and a girl, soon followed, stopping as they saw the ball disappear into the building. The girl just looked at the Aoiya sadly while the boy held a face of uncertainty.

"Don't worry Sakura, I'll get it back." The boy said confidently as he bent down and proceeded to crawl through the hole after the toy.

The young girl quickly grabbed him and pulled him back. "No!! You'll get hurt! Remember what happened to Kaji-kun? I don't want you to die too..."

The boy hesitated for a moment before nodding in complete understanding and the two walked off to find some other means of entertainment. Aoshi looked at the diminished structure and started walking towards it. He pulled back a drape that hung over the wall that was near the door and peered into the darkness. He stepped inside and could see the faint glitter of a fire from another room. The inside looked just like the exterior. Some walls had been knocked down. Those that were still up were cut up and had numerous holes in them.

"Who're you?" A gruff, snaky voice said from a dark corner near the entrance. "This is no place for touring. It's for outlaws and refugees. I'll give you one chance to leave before you end up like that boy they found outside of town."

Disgusting and vile. Aoshi's emotionless face didn't turn to look at the fugitive, but his cold eyes bore down at his crouched form. "I'll go where I please."

The man gave a foul chuckle. "You sound like another escapee. As long as you don't bother anybody, they won't bother you. You start acting suspicious, we'll tear you apart. That's what happened to the officer that tried to get information about this place."

Aoshi didn't respond as he started walking through the Aoiya. He walked through the dining area first. The dining booths seemed to be used as small rooms for individual people. The sleeping forms were curled up and covered with tattered blankets. There were even a couple of women. Some people were awake and leaning back on the unstable looking walls. Their wicked eyes followed his form as he continued on. It looked so defiled and corrupted.

The dining area came to an end and Aoshi stopped at the entrance of the kitchen. The kitchen seemed to be in better shape than the rest of the building. Only a section of the counter was smashed in and there were various slashes in the walls. They looked distinctly like the cuts of a sword. A few uncivil looking men were in there. They glanced at him and went back to whatever they were cooking. The stench of the food practically forced Aoshi to move on.

He walked outside to where the garden enclosure was, or rather, where it use to be. There was a large piece of cloth made up of many sheets and blankets badly sown together that concealed the enclosed area. The only light was from the small fire off to the side and few rays of light that sneaked through the covering. The only living things within there was the small crowd that was gathered around the two men that were in a fight. Nobody was yelling or talking much, just watching as sloppy punches and kicks were traded. Ignoring the fight, he walked along the once railed catwalk. Much of the railing was knocked, smashed, or toppled over from aging. The little bit that was still standing was only near the wooden support pillars.

Aoshi started walking up to the second level. The stairs creaked and sounded as if they'd cave in with every step from the former okashira. The wall to his side was dented in. A dark red color stained it and dripped down the wall. It was almost as if someone had been hit or pushed into it. Much of it gave away at Aoshi's touch. Whatever happened to Aoiya must have happened long ago. He moved on and then came upon the second level. The floor was torn up in a couple places and a couple of the doors were knocked over.

Aoshi recognized many of the rooms that belonged to those of Okina and the rest of the Oniwabanshu. As he looked around, he spotted one door that stood out. It was one of two that were closed. It was perfectly intact except for one small hole in the middle. He knew that door. That room.

"Misao..." Aoshi murmured.

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Well, thanks for all of your reviews! Truly appreciated! I've gone over this chapter and tried to correct all of my mistakes. There's still probably some more, but I'm not worrying about them. I've also renamed the fic to "Blank Oblivion" instead of "We Don't Forget the Past" due to my personal tastes and the fact that the first title was merely a rough draft. I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

-Fallen Virtue

[1] Those of you that don't know your history that well, the Aoiya was the hideout of the Oniwabanshu. The restaurant business was mainly a front.

[2] Kodachis are the short sword version of a katana.


	2. Chapter 2

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Blank Oblivion

Chapter 2

By: Fallen Virtue (a.k.a. AJ)

Disclaimer: See previous chapter.

Notes: Upped rating to PG-13 due to violence, but I'm sure you've seen and read worse.

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Aoshi's feet started moving unconsciously until he was standing in front of the door. A small ray of light was protruding from the hole, giving it a mysterious appearance. He slowly slid it open, almost afraid of what he might see inside.

Relief spread through him when he first glance around the room. Nothing was damaged. However, cobwebs were hanging everywhere and dust seemed to blanket the entire room. The light from the window and seeing the small specks of dust in the air gave it an ancient atmosphere.

There was something that caught his sight against the wall beside him. A human skeleton, slumped to the floor and leaning against the wall. He let out a deep breath and a sad expression flickered on his face when he saw it. His relief seemed to have disappeared. Could Misao have been killed? He got down onto his knees for a closer inspection.

The skeleton was generally covered with a black outfit that was mostly eaten away by time. Aoshi could clearly see that it was a ninja outfit. It wasn't a familiar though. Oniwabanshu uniforms didn't consist of solid black.

The bones were an off-white color, somewhat yellow. He concurred with his earlier thoughts that there must have been a drastic fight many years ago. He lifted the stiff arm that covered it's chest. The hand was covering something that was jutting out of the cloth above where the man's heart would've been. He slipped the object out with a bit of effort as it seemed to have been caught between the ribs.

He unveiled the object. It was a kunai[1]. The simple wooden handle of the blade had been eaten inside and out by termites and crumbled slightly in his hand. The blade itself was in no better shape. The once sharp edges were now tarnished with encrustation. He grabbed a bit of his shirt to wipe the blade off. When he pulled his shirt away, he found that the material had been cut through.

"Still sharp." He murmured. The blade was gleaming through the areas of the rusted metal and Aoshi could see his reflection in it as he spoke to himself. "Misao took an interest in the kunai before I left."

With that small bit of reassurance, Aoshi got up and left the room, closing the door behind him. He looked over all the recent spots again to see if he could deduce anything from them. He eventually ended back at the entrance of the Aoiya with little. He looked down at the man who was still huddled into the corner near it.

"Tell me what happened here." Aoshi said in a demanding voice.

The man was a little startled at first and shifted around a bit. "Huh? Well, I've only heard things." The man just looked at Aoshi's cold, haunting eyes before replying a bit nervously. "I was told not to talk about it, but you look like the type that won't take 'no' for an answer." He took a deep breath. "Not sure if you know this, but this place was actually the hideout of the Oniwabashu. They supposedly were friendly and helped protect the city, but I guess they goofed up on a mission. Some big gang guy got angry for something they did and sent an army of his men here.

"It's said that none of the Oniwabanshu survived, but they say that only a handful of the people that attacked them made it out. There's been some suspicions going around though that there are a couple of Oniwabanshu members still alive and hanging around. I don't really trust what some of those guys say, but they sound pretty convincing." The guy finished with a small chuckle.

Aoshi narrowed his eyes. What this man said could be a possibility. Especially the way the Aoiya looked now. "Where did you get this information?"

"I'm not really suppose to be talking about it. Just some group of guys that come in here once in a while. Tell us to stick to our own business while they do whatever the hell they do around here. They don't bother us, we don't bother them. They're a nasty bunch. No mercy. They killed a top notch criminal and even got the ransom for him. I pity that guy for sticking his nose where it didn't belong."

"Where are they?"

"Sorry buddy, but that's classified."

Aoshi unsheathed one of his kodachis and pointed it at the man. "Is it? Tell me everything."

"Well, I guess it's not." The man fidgeted. "I don't know much. They're incredibly skilled. They took down an A-class criminal. Ya know, one of those big brutes. And even under a minute! Done by one man! Not even the leader!" His voice raised in disbelief.

"Who's the leader?"

"Kind of hard to believe. Some teenager boy. Goes by the name of Futei. He has black hair and carries around two swords. One long, one short. Some of the guys around here say that he's the master of other weapons as well. We don't want to try to find out though." Seeing no response from Aoshi, he continued. "He bosses around two guys. Both tall and thuggish looking. It was one of them, Hakun, that took that guy out. He had a patch over one eye, but he could see better than a hawk. He didn't use any weapons, but I'm sure he had some. The other guy, well, I almost thought that he was plain fat, but now I'm sure that he's all muscle. I'm think his name was Kaiki."

"Where can I find them?" Surely if they knew the history of the Aoiya, they would know where the rest of the Oniwabanshu were. That is, if they any were actually alive.

"Honestly, I don't know. Just that they come by here ever other week. They're due in a couple days, but if I were you, I'd get out of here. You don't want to meet them."

Aoshi sheathed his weapon and moved to walked out. He stopped in mid step as he caught something out of the corner of his eye. He turned to face it, seeing a figure dressed in dark clothes looking at him behind their own dark bangs. Aoshi narrowed his eyes as the person realized that he had been discovered. He quickly disappeared from the doorway with Aoshi in hot pursuit.

He chased the quick figure through the kitchen, startling the men as the pair blew past them. The hunt continued to the second floor. After a moment of chasing, he realized that the path they were taking was one of the old escape routes that the Oniwabanshu used in emergencies. It was an escape to the roof where it'd be much easier to shake off anyone who would be chasing.

As his prey rounded a corner, he quickly turned and entered one of the rooms. He looked towards the far wall and spotted the window. He quickly made his way towards it and ripped off the piece of cloth that was covering it. He stepped through the window and out onto the roof of the first story. He grabbed a hold of the second level' roof and hoisted himself up. He looked towards the western horizon to see the sun just about to finish its shift and let the moon check in.

He stepped to the other side of the roof and a moment later, as he suspected, whoever he was chasing leaped up onto the edge. How did they know of the Oniwabanshu's escape route? The person gasped when he caught sight of Aoshi and awkwardly hopped to the side. It was then that Aoshi realized something as he gave the person an overlook. They were Oniwabanshu.

The ninja's small, compact frame had crouched into a defensive stance. He had long dark hair, the bangs coming over his eyes while the rest was put up in a high ponytail. Much like Aoshi had done when he was younger. His outfit was distinctly that of the Oniwabanshu's. It was a dark blue with trimmings of a lighter shade. Around his neck there was a long purple scarf, the ends hanging loosely down his back. The scarf was quickly pulled up, preventing Aoshi from seeing the bottom half of his face. The rest of the uniform was exactly like Aoshi's when he had become the leader at fifteen, save for the long sleeves that reminded Aoshi of Okina's own uniform. There were two sheathed swords that were tied to the ninja's left side.

"Who are you?" Aoshi demanded and took a step closer.

The ninja never answered, staring at him for a moment before quickly turning and running across the roof, Aoshi once again chasing. He reached the roof's edge and jumped, clearing the distance to the next roof. Aoshi followed suit.

Aoshi caught up after a number of houses, his long legs easily catching up with ninja's pair of smaller ones. Aoshi unsheathed one of his kodachi, thrusting it at the ninja's shoulder. The ninja glanced back, seeing the attack, and ducked. The ninja stopped while he dodged and quickly turned to punch Aoshi, who was just starting to stop, in the side. Aoshi used the palm of his free hand to block the attack, letting his hand close around the fist. Unless the ninja was strong enough to pull out of his grip, he was stuck within the close proximity of Aoshi's sharp blade.

There was no time for the ninja to break free as Aoshi slashed at the him with his kodachi. The ninja deftly ducked the attack, but Aoshi had already predicted that and quickly brought his kodachi in for another swing. He had planned to bring his sword point to the ninja's neck. Killing would do no good. Dead men couldn't answer questions.

The ninja brought his unimpeded arm to block the attack. Something like that was futile, it'd only end up with a very large wound or a stump for an arm. That wasn't Aoshi's problem, so he continued with his attack. The plan failed. The ninja practically slammed his forearm into the oncoming attack, surprising Aoshi to see his kodachi bounce harmlessly off the ninja's forelimb.

How could he have not seen the tonfas[2] that the ninja was concealing within the large sleeves of the uniform? It was exactly what Okina had done in his time. He should have known. The two swords had deluded him to believe those were the only weapons the ninja carried. Oniwabanshu members tended to take up only one weapon. So who was this? Some Oniwabanshu impersonator? He only heard of a few that took the time to master more than one weapon.

The ninja, however, took advantage of situation by slamming the tonfa into the side of Aoshi's face. Aoshi tried to jerk back from it, letting go of the ninja, but the tonfa still caught him on the cheekbone. Hard too, he guessed that he would have a bruise formed under his right eye by the time this little skirmish was over.

The ninja jumped back, bringing his right hand that held the tonfa behind his back momentarily. His left hand reached for the hilt of one of his swords and unsheathed it, revealing the long sharp metal of a katana. The other hand came back into sight, the tonfa now gone. It was still probably concealed within the sleeve. Aoshi stored those thoughts in the back of his mind as he scrutinized the ninja's next move.

The ninja dropped the sword slightly, the tip dipping towards the ground. His left foot slide back, putting the ninja in a crouched state, the stance letting him spring into action quickly. The sword was brought up again, this time, the dull side down and the sharp side up. The ninja cocked his left arm back, bringing the sword in a ready-thrust position. The right hand was then brought up to hover over the tip.

Aoshi knew that stance like he knew that wolves were predators. Wolves of Miburo. That was the Gatotsu. Saitou's Gatotsu. Where could this ninja have possibly learned that? Certainly, only those of the Shinsengumi knew of it. There were other possibilities, such that this ninja picked it up off rumors. Didn't Sojiro also know some of the Hiten Mitsurugi techniques?

The ninja's brows furrowed as he silently lunged at Aoshi. The sword came out quick, slicing through the air towards Aoshi's chest. The former commander stepped to the side, the blade sailing past him. He expected the ninja to twist the blade and follow the attack with the wide slash. The impostor didn't however. Seems as though he didn't truly know all of the advantages of the Gatotsu.

No sense in letting their mistake slip then. Aoshi grabbed the ninja's sleeve and pulled, causing his opponent to flounder and eventually tumble. The fallen figure started sliding down the roof and Aoshi moved to capture him before he fell, but the ninja's hands were already gasping at the roof, his heels digging into the surface.

Before Aoshi could do anything else, the fraud glanced over his shoulder at him, eyes narrowed in anger. The ninja then jumped up into the air and twisted to face Aoshi. Metal flashed through the night, tearing a path aimed at Aoshi. He turned his body sideways, some of the throwing knives flying past him and impaling the rooftop. He brought his kodachi up and knocked the remaining two out of the air.

The ninja had jumped off the roof when Aoshi took the time to defend himself. His mask of indifference cracked into a deep frown. He started to pursue, but came to a sudden stop. He glanced down to find that one of the ninja's kunai had pierced his trench coat and trapped it to the roof. He bent down and jerked it out. Just as he was about to toss it away, he stopped and took a mere moment to look at it. The blade was radiant in the early moonlight and the wooden handle was beautifully carved, the design of three pieces of wood interlaced together. He tucked the kunai into one of his pockets and returned to the task at hand.

Aoshi hadn't been in Kyoto long and wasn't familiar with the city anymore. So despite Aoshi having the ability to catch up, the ninja had the advantage of knowing the streets and alleys. Before long, Aoshi was just barely keeping up with the ninja. Only one more attempt to shake Aoshi of his trail with a set of complex turns would do the trick. They both knew it.

Aoshi turned his last corner, coming to an abrupt stop as he was suddenly out in the open. There was no sign of the ninja in the silent streets. Discontinuing the chase was a guarantee that Aoshi wouldn't be meeting up with the ninja for the rest of the night. So with not much of a choice, Aoshi started wandering down the streets in hopes to find his way back.

He now had two missions. One was finding that gang that hung out at the forsaken Aoiya. When and who did they get their information from? They could possibly know whether any of the Oniwabanshu were alive and where they could be. The other task was to find the ninja. Wearing the Oniwabanshu uniform and relatively using the same techniques, there was an endless amount of questions that the ninja could be asked.

It was well into the night when he checked into an inn. He walked up to his room and set his trench coat and weapons off to the side. He picked up the towel from the room and headed off toward the baths, his thoughts traveling back to what the innkeeper told him earlier.

_"I guarantee that we are the cheapest inn in the city." The bearded man started. "However, we have a gang that comes in almost every night. They don't bother any of the customers. I suppose they come here as a meeting place. They compensate me, so I don't mind. They are dangerous though, and I would understand it if you changed your mind about staying here."_

"I can handle myself." Aoshi paid the man.

He gave a hearty laugh. "Well, try to avoid them, they'll be coming in soon."

Aoshi was slightly surprised. Last he remembered, this inn was very decent. Hosting a gang was not decent. They were worst than fighting the likes of Shishio. However, it wasn't like Aoshi couldn't take care of himself. Not to mention that financially, Aoshi was a little low on cash. Even if this place hosted scum, it was still very inexpensive. Even more, this could be the gang that he was looking for.

He reached the baths and stepped inside one, closing the door behind him. He was satisfied to see that the water was already warmed up. He undressed and placed his folded clothes on the bench to the side. He then went through the ritual of washing himself before stepping into the steaming waters.

Just as he finished dressing after his bath, he heard the door open. He quickly looked up to find a young boy, probably in his late teens, looking back at him with an annoyed look. The boy spoke to him with a high voice that made him sound much younger. "Who're you? This is a private bath."

"I'm on my way out." Aoshi recognized that the boy acted like he was some high official in the government. A common sign that meant he was some rich brat that was pampered and spoiled too much by his parents. Aoshi picked up his towel and started walking out.

As he walked through the door, he almost missed the two men that accompanied the younger boy. One of them bumped into his shoulder as he walked past. He frowned and looked back only to find that they had already shut the door. Insolent and over-paid bodyguards were the worst. Aoshi just shook his head and continued on towards his room.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

After Aoshi returned to his room, he put his trench coat back on and grabbed his weapons. He left the room and started wandering around to find the innkeeper. It wasn't hard, he found him in the front, still checking people into rooms. Aoshi watched from a distance and waited for a moment to speak with the him alone.

He was about to approached when the innkeeper finished up with a couple customers, but the young boy that he saw earlier from the baths beat him to it. "Can we use the room now?"

The boy was wearing an unusual outfit, unlike any he had ever seen before. He had on a light blue gi top with trimmings of a darker shade. The strange attribute was the sleeves. The left one was the relatively normal, kimono style where the sleeves draped, except that it seemed much too long and baggy. The other sleeve was the complete opposite. It was cut high on the arm like some of the western style shirts that he had seen, but the rest was Japanese. His hakama was plain white, tied high just above the hips by a matching, light blue sash and stopped about mid-calf and was tucked under, the rest of his leg wrapped with white bandage to the heel, the rest of his foot covered by his socks and straw sandals.

Aoshi was able to give the boy a better inspection without the hindrance of the bath's steam and darkness. The young man's raven hair was cut short at the ear with long, uneven bangs in front of his cobalt eyes and around the delicate features of his face. His bare arm displayed the toned muscles that were less than expected of a teenage boy, but the demeanor of which he walked could prove otherwise. The broad smile and straightened posture bespoke his confidence. The ruffian at the Aoiya had mentioned the supposed leader of the gang looked young, yet held the authority over two men that seemed obviously larger and stronger. There were no visible weapons on him though.

The boy smiled at the innkeeper and reached into his long sleeve. He pulled out a small, white sack tied closed by ropes and handed it to the host. The innkeeper's reply was instant. "Why, of course! Let me escort you there."

Aoshi sneered as the man took the jingling sack. It seemed this man was fully saturated with greed. He watched the innkeeper place the other hand on the young man's back and lead them back inside, conversing too quietly between themselves to be heard. They neared a back room, the innkeeper opening and closing the door behind the young boy as if he were serving royalty. Aoshi advanced on the innkeeper when he started humming a tune to himself happily while calculating the day's profit.

"Was that boy part of the gang?" Aoshi asked directly.

"W-what?" The innkeeper jumped as he looked up from his work, startled by the man who had not been there a moment before. Aoshi gave him an ominous look and repeated the question. He swallowed and glanced behind him at the back room nervously. "Y-yes. Why, sir?"

The Oniwabanshu member didn't answer and briskly moved towards the door. The innkeeper shook himself from his stupor and blocked Aoshi's path with barely a touch of defiance in his voice. "I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to go in there."

Aoshi gave him a piercing stare and brushed him aside. The innkeeper looked baffled, wishing that this man wouldn't continue on, but was deathly afraid of what Aoshi might do to him if he tried to intervene. Aoshi turned back to the door and was about to open it, but as he hand was about to come in contact with the wood, it opened on its own. He dropped his hand back to his side as his vacant expression warred with the young boy's knowing smile. The youth looked at the innkeeper and reassured him with a shrewd smile.

"Don't worry, Itoh. We've been expecting him."

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Well, that's the second chapter folks! Sure... it might've taken a while to come out, but I write slow and I know it. So don't bug me about that little fact, okay? Good. I appreciate all comments, feedback, and constructive criticism!

~Fallen Virtue

[1] A kunai is throwing knife. I should stick with one name or the other, but I tend to switch between them in the story.

[2] A tonfa is the Japanese weapon that resembles a policeman's nightstick.


	3. Chapter 3

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Blank Oblivion

Chapter 3

By: Fallen Virtue (a.k.a. AJ)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Rurouni Kenshin characters. I am merely using the character for my own imagination.

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Important Note: I'd just like to remind those of you that don't know that I added a lot more to **chapter 2 **because it didn't post the first time. So go back and read it! Otherwise, you might not get what's happening in this next chapter.

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Aoshi watched as the young boy turned his back to him, a sign that he either trusted Aoshi or believed that he was harmless. He followed the young boy doubtfully. His hand moved to grasp the hilt of a kodachi, ready to defend an attack at any moment.

There were two others in the room that were sitting in the center of the room where mats had been placed. One of them was a tall, robust man with a patch over his left eye. He was wearing light blue vest with trimmings of dark blue and it hung past his waist, gaping open. It seemed that was the style this gang followed. He wore white pants that were cut off well above the ankle, displaying his surprisingly clean and callused feet. He was wearing a headband, keeping his hair up into a spiky position, reminding Aoshi of Sanosuke.

The other man was towering, more than a baldhead taller than the other and bulkier too. He wore a plain dark blue gi with its sleeves cut off. His narrow eyes and protruding lower jaw were set into a serene expression. He glanced at Aoshi, and then turned away. Once again, there were no visible weapons.

Aoshi looked back at the young man as he sat down between the two others and motioned for Aoshi to do the same in the last unoccupied area across from him. Once he did so, the young man spoke. "My name is Futei." He gestured to the man with one eye, then to the other. "This is Hakun and that's Kaiki."

They looked back at him, quietly waiting for him to introduce himself. They could be possible enemies, so they couldn't know his real name. Each Oniwabanshu member, when they joined, would have to create an alibi for situations such as this. "My name's Hayashi."

"Word has it that you've been looking for us." Futei stated, getting straight to the point. "What do you want?"

Aoshi kept a clam facade. "How much is your knowledge worth?" He was hoping that the price wouldn't be out of his budget.

Futei grinned. "Well, not all information is valuable. We'll tell you what the payment is when you tell us what you want to know."

Aoshi looked at the other two men. Hakun was still smirking and watching him with his eye. Kaiki, on the other hand, seemed not to pay attention to him, but Aoshi knew that if he was true to his leader, then he probably had other ways of watching. When Aoshi glanced back at Futei, the youth was sitting patiently for the answer.

"Tell me of the Oniwabanshu." That was all he wanted to know.

Hakun's smirk faltered into surprise while Kaiki was gazing at him with curiosity. Futei gave a displeased sigh. "You're vague. Be specific." Futei glanced at his associates. "Did you want to know what the Oniwabanshu was?" This young man knew more, but Aoshi couldn't decipher how much.

What did Aoshi want to know? He had been gone so long; he could barely remember some of their faces. Misao would be a woman now, he probably wouldn't recognize her if he saw her.

He reminded himself that he shouldn't totally trust the information that he was given. They were gangsters after all. But he'd take whatever they would give him as a lead.

"Whose still alive? Where can I find them?" That's what he wanted to know.

Aoshi took note as Futei's eyes narrowed, twitching barely. Futei looked back and forth between his men. They did the same, giving short nods to one another. Futei looked back at Aoshi, his once agitated face smoothed over with his business face.

"Now that is very expensive." Futei brought out a piece of paper.

"I don't have much with me, but I can gain whatever you ask." Aoshi replied as he watched Futei wrote something down on the paper, folded it and handed it to Kaiki.

Kaiki nodded and handed to slip to Aoshi. "That's the price."

Aoshi picked up the paper and unfolded it. The trace of a frown graced his face. The price was astronomical! Who did they think themselves of? Certainly, what they knew was not worth this much.

"I cannot make this payment now or soon. I will be back when I have it though." Aoshi started to get up.

"Wait." Futei gestured towards Kaiki. The bulky man held his hand out towards Aoshi.

"Please, the paper." Kaiki reached out and plucked the slip of paper from Aoshi's hand. He leaned back and handed it Futei.

"Looks like I've made a small mistake."

Aoshi watched as the youth wrote something else onto the paper. Would he raise the price? If so, he wasn't sure if he'd be coming back. The youth smiled and folded the paper, handing it to Kaiki who handed it back to Aoshi. The Oniwabanshu member open it and felt himself relax. The price was a great deal lower, something that he could afford.

There were hopefully some people in Kyoto that were still indebted to the Oniwabanshu. It would only take a handful of people to pay their dues before he would be able to obtain the reasonable cost for his desired information.

"Thank you very much." Aoshi said gratefully as he stood up to leave.

Futei waved him away. "The pleasure was ours."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Aoshi was walking towards the Aoiya again the next day, his long sword disguised kodachis at his side. He had plans before heading towards the Aoiya though. He stopped by various places around the city, trying to find those that still had debts to pay to the Oniwabanshu. As he expected, during his absence, most of the debts had been paid and he just receive strange stares from those he asked. It took most of the morning, but he was able to gather the amount he needed. He decided to wait until later that night to meet with the gang again.

The ninja was the next thing on his agenda. So much had happened in the last day, it almost sent his mind reeling, but he had survived through far more excruciating experiences than this.

He hoped he'd be able to make it through more.

He reached the Aoiya; surprised once again by it's appearance. Like before, he stood there, simply standing and staring at the ruins.

He remembered, long ago, when he was much younger, that the Aoiya was a tall and proud restaurant. The business was a front for the Oniwabanshu, but they were well respected. No gross amount of dirty business, mostly spying, at least within the city of Kyoto. Those were beautiful days, but things had slowly darkened in his life since then. He had hoped, that when he returned to Kyoto, that his days would become bright once again.

Seeing the Aoiya the day before as nothing but ancient ruins, it seemed that such lofty dreams were too high, too far for even the birds to reach, for even they didn't dwell near. If it weren't for his hope and icy cold demeanor, he probably would have withered away at the sight.

But now, it was standing a bit taller than it had the day before. A little more inviting, but Aoshi had a sense of foreboding. All of the threadbare drapes were torn down and there was small pile of them near him. The planks of wood no longer obstructed the entrance, but were now covering the large hole in the wall where he previously had to enter from. It was all very confusing.

What Aoshi saw through the entrance was the man who had provided him with the information on the gang. This time he wasn't curled up in his corner. He was being suspended in the air, his feet barely touching the ground as he was pinned up against the wall by the large, muscular hand that belonged to Kaiki. Hakun wasn't in sight, but Futei was standing near his large accomplice sedately.

Futei was talking to the nervous looking man, but Aoshi couldn't here them. Even though it didn't show on his unperturbed exterior, he inwardly grinned when he saw the ruffian carelessly thrown out through the entrance and land not so gently at his feet. Without even looking at Aoshi, the man scrambled to his feet and scurried off into the shadows of the alley.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a visitor." Aoshi looked back towards the entrance as Futei approached him. "Do you have the payment?"

Sooner than expected, but almost as good a time as any. Aoshi nodded and handed the money to the youth. "Why are you here?"

Futei grinned proudly. "I don't remember that information being in the deal, but I suppose it's relevant to the Oniwabanshu." He swept an arm out towards the ruins of the restaurant. "I'm restoring the Aoiya."

Did he hear that correctly? Aoshi wasn't sure. He didn't even know how to react. He was elated at the fact that the Aoiya wasn't just going to sit there for eternity in shambles. But he had to think about the people that were restoring the building. It was a seedy gang that supposedly knew more than many about the Oniwabanshu. For all he knew, their intent could be to use the restaurant as a front just as the former owners had. He'd rather leave the Aoiya in its present state than hand it over to such filthy garbage.

"Well, let's get to business, Hayashi. Follow me." Not waiting for Aoshi to answer, Futei started walking off into the depths of the Aoiya.

With a hesitant look around, Aoshi followed him. They took the same path that he taken the day before, first going through the small dining areas. There were no longer and sleeping forms or discarded items lying about. Each one had been thoroughly cleaned out. He was surprised to find that instead of the kitchen having a horrible retched smell, a fresh scent was drifting through it. Light was illuminating from the doorway and it perked his curiosity.

To his surprise, and delight, the open area within the building was glowing with unhindered light from above. It felt pure and innocent, and he could already feel the memories welling up from the back of his mind. He set them aside though as he watched the mysterious youth stop in the middle of the enclosure with his head tilted back, looking up at the open sky.

"Have you ever been here, Hayashi-san?" Futei asked still gazing upwards.

"I have. Very long ago." A lie? Almost, it was partially the truth.

Aoshi didn't want to consider what the Aoiya was the day before as the same building that he now stood in. They were two difference places from two different times.

Futei gave him a skeptical look before getting down to business. "What do you want to know first?"

"Which of the Oniwabanshu members are still alive?"

Futei took a moment before answering. "Okina, Shiro, Kuro…" He counted his fingers as he gave the names. "Omasu, and Okon."

Aoshi looked down at the ground. What about Misao? Was she… dead? He couldn't block the onslaught of memories of a small child vying for his attention, when he taught that same girl her first kempo lesson, and the day that he had left.

"Futei-sama, you're missing one." Kaiki spoke up.

It was a glimmer of hope.

"Ah, yes, what was her name?"

Hakun reminded him. "The girl Misao."

_They're still alive. _Aoshi thought, relieved.

"Right, Misao too." Futei turned towards Aoshi. "Those listed, they're dead."

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Well, that's the third chapter. I know it was rather late, well, really late, but I was getting a new computer. If it helps, it should've been out weeks ago. Not like that would've mattered, I'm a slow writer anyway. Oh, I'd also like to recommend a fic to all of you Aoshi x Misao fans. **The Curse of Misao** is an awesome fic, my personal favorite. Go read it people!

Fallen Virtue


	4. Chapter 4

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Blank Oblivion

Chapter 4

By: Fallen Virtue (a.k.a. AJ)

Disclaimer: Look at the previous chapter and be enlightened.

Notes: Still haven't looked back at **chapter 2**? Well do it! I've added more. For those who might've ignored the first note.

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_Dead?_ No. It seemed too surreal and impossible. The rational part of Aoshi's mind told him that he shouldn't have been surprised, that he had to face the reality of the situation, not deny it. But it was such a terrible conclusion.

"Don't fret yet, Hayashi-san." Futei continued. "Hanya, Beshimi, Hyottoko, and Shikijo are still alive. We don't know their whereabouts though. Roughly fifteen years ago they left on a mission and have continually been on the move, so we haven't been able to keep track of them. If there are any others alive, we don't know because they were probably just the insignificant members."

Unlike his usually calm composure, the anger was evident in Aoshi's eyes as he gazed at the young man who had just given him this new information. Futei looked him precariously, putting Hakun and Kaiki on edge. This Hayashi had a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"You're lying." Aoshi brought his sheath up, holding the visible hilt of one of his kodachis with the chest in a horizontal position at his side.

Futei's brow visibly twitched. "I do not lie."

But Aoshi had seen his comrades' deaths. He could still conjure up the memory as if it were yesterday when they had thrown their lives in the wasy of the merciless Gatling gun to save his life. There was nothing to debate about the four bodies he had buried, riddled with bullets.

And Aoshi didn't remove his hand from his hilt. "Those four were killed."

"You're lying."

Aoshi scowled. Didn't _he_ just say that? As a leader, Futei should've welcomed this information. There was always the need to know something more. The youth's face was made up of rage and disbelief; as if he was in denial or too caught up with beliefs of perfection that he couldn't comprehend that someone was telling him that he was incorrect.

"Get out." Futei demanded.

"We haven't finished our deal."

"Kaiki." At the one word command, the bulky man threw his leader a sword, from where, Aoshi didn't know. Futei grasped the hilt in warning. "As far as I know, we're through. Now get out."

"What about Aoshi?" The youth's eyes widened at the name, then narrowed. Aoshi played into it more. "I've done my research. Leader at fifteen, right? What happened to him?"

Futei's arm trembled. He was clearly making an effort to hold back from attacking Aoshi. "Dead. He's dead." It was more of a growl rather than voice of a person. "Leave."

Aoshi didn't know what he did to upset the young man. Certainly, telling him that he lied wouldn't put him through an angry fit. There was more to it and Aoshi was going to find out. Just as he was about to ask another question, Futei lunged at him.

For what he thought was a second rate swordsman, the boy moved faster than Aoshi thought, performing an upward slash as the blade was drawn. Aoshi's hand still had a tight grip on the hilt of his own weapon and, not yet wanting to reveal the fact that he held two kodachis instead of a single long sword, was able to swiftly unsheathe part of his gleaming weapon, blocking the blade aimed to injure him. He swung his sheath up and thrusted it forward, hitting Futei in the stomach and causing the youth double over.

Hakun and Kaiki started towards Aoshi to retaliate, but the hand of their leader holding his blade in their path told them otherwise. Futei dropped to his knees, still crouched over himself while one of his hands clutched at his stomach.

Without looking up, he spoke in a broken voice. "Just go."

Aoshi complied. He was given the clear to go without any bloodshed. He eyed the other two warily before turning his back on them. He'd be back later. Just as he was about to walk out of their site, he turned his head to the side, glancing over his shoulder at them.

Futei was still on his knees, but bent even lower so that Aoshi could only see the top of his head. The said person's knuckles were white with the force being used to grip this hilt of his katana, drawing it in close, and the hand that was once clutching at his stomach had curled itself into a shaking fist. Aoshi could've sworn that he'd seen the glint of a drop of water fall and hit the ground just beneath Futei's face. But then again, it had just begun to rain.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Aoshi headed towards the Shirobeko, a restaurant known for its delicious food. Not to mention being tied to the Akebeko. He needed time to think and since it was only a couple hours past noon, he decided that his contemplating would be over a bowl of rice and miso soup.

He had been reaching for his cup for another drink of his tea when his food was placed in front of him. It was all he could do to not just get up and leave in distaste. The food, the people, the restaurant, it all reminded him of the Aoiya and that recalled the memories of a certain lecherous man, a young girl, and the rest of the company.

_Why did everyone have to die_? He had already lost four companions while he away and it hurt to return only to find the rest gone. He had hoped that he'd be able to come back into welcome arms and if possible, become family with the rest of the Oniwabanshu.

He imagined Misao, with her exuberant amount of energy and beautiful blue eyes, always delighted or sparkling with mischief. The small girl was never really afraid of him or anyone else. He didn't remember her fearing or cowering away when she first met Hanya and the others. She had brought out the best in them, whether it had been in a smile or getting them to step out from their conservative shadows.

Maybe if he had stayed, never left, everything would've been all right. He would've been able to protect everybody. Nobody would've had to die.

It was a shattering sound that jarred him out of his gloomy thoughts. He looked down to find that the porcelain teacup he'd been holding now reduced to pieces in his hands and scattered on the table. The small amount of liquid that spilled onto the table slowly turned red from the small, steady stream of blood that came from the little gash in his hand. He quickly pulled out a small, bloodstained bandaged out of the inside pocket of his trench coat and wrapped it around his hand to momentarily stop the bleeding.

The people nearest watched him as he stood up and walked out of the restaurant. If it weren't for the broken cup and the untouched food, they would have never been able to tell that something was deeply troubling this man's mind.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Just as he had planned, he was back at the Aoiya that night. The rain was still falling in hard, heavy drops, their clouds blanketing the sky and shrouding everything in darkness. After letting his eyes get use to the pitch black, he silently crept to the entrance, looking for any signs that Futei and his gang were still around. He had expected that they headed back to the inn for their routine meetings.

Hearing nothing but the pitter-patter of the rain, he curled around the corner of the entrance, creeping along the wall as he made his way through the restaurant. Despite seeing no sign of anyone else, he kept his guard up. He _was_ hoping to find that ninja again and alerting him to his presence wouldn't really help in catching him. Even in the darkness of the night, he hid himself among the shadows, glancing this way and that before darting to the next darkened corner. The only thing that would give him away was the occasional rustle of his trench coat as he moved, but the rain practically smothered all the sound.

When he made it to the second floor, he snuck up to each room, one by one, and glanced inside. The last room was Okina's and he looked around for any signs of the ninja. Of all the rooms, this one had by far the most wreckage. Debris littered the floor so much that he could barely see it. He wasn't sure if there was anything that wasn't broken or damaged had he took the time to look.

Like almost all the other rooms, there were more heaps of bones. There were three skeletons piled to the sides of the door in a similar outfit as the one he found in Misao's room, just like all the others. When he took a step inside, he heard a sickening crunch beneath his foot. He glanced down to find that he his foot had crushed the bony remains of a hand that he hadn't seen. He ignored it and worked his way towards the window.

He pushed open the shutters and looked over the soaked grounds around the Aoiya, not doing very well in seeing past the heavy rain. The view from there was one of the best. He remembered when he was young he'd look out this window, thinking that nobody could do anything without him knowing because he could see them all. Of course, that was when he was a child. Now…

His eyes twitched, narrowing slightly, then relaxing as his ears heard something beyond the sound of the downpour. He could barely make it out, but it was there. Using his old ninja training, he blocked out the ordinary noises. Clear of the uproar of rain, wind, and blowing leaves, he could make out the slight sounds of heavy breathing followed by rustling cloth.

Looking through the heavy rainfall, he could see a figure, jerkily moving about down in the courtyard. He recognized the ninja immediately, but he was moving so clumsily, uncaring whether his moves were smooth or flowing. It seemed uncharacteristic, like… he was mad. Or depressed.

The ninja stopped, his chest puffing out over and over from the recent exertion. Much to Aoshi's dismay, the ninja quickly disappeared down the street. He already knew that he wouldn't be able to keep up and settled with just clenching his hands into angry fists. With his trench coat flapping behind him, he started back to the inn.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Hello, Itoh-san. I've only stopped by to get the belongings we've left behind."

Aoshi eavesdropped on the innkeeper and Futei from around the corner. He had arrived just late enough to see the young boy walk into the inn without being seen in return. He was having a tough time concentrating on the conversation though; something was nagging at him at the back of his mind. He tired to grasp it, but it dangled just out of his reach.

"But the only things you have here is what you usually leave." The old man sounded confused. "Are you…?"

"Yes, we'll be having our meetings in a new locations. Don't pretend to be sad, at least you'll be getting more customers."

"No, it's not that! Really, it's been a pleasure serving you. I hope your new host will have my mutual feelings." There wasn't a hint of dishonesty in his voice, it was truly genuine.

Aoshi glanced around the corner, seeing the two walk off into the backroom. They were just out of earshot in there. He shifted back around the corner, out of sight, letting his mind drift back to that pesky thought that danced around in his head. Still talking, Itoh and Futei walked back into the lobby.

"Really, I like it. I didn't want to say anything first, but I almost didn't recognize you at first with your hair cut like that." They bid each other farewell, but the puzzle in his mind suddenly fit together.

It was the ninja. His hair had been cut short.

Just like Futei's.

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Ack! I know… kind of short, but it seemed like a good place to end. I had a pretty hard time to work up to the point since I kind of had a bunch of jumbled ideas. But anywho, I'd appreciate some feedback. By the way, I've got another fic that I'd suggest you AoshixMisao peeps should read. No, it's not finished (at the moment) but I'm sure the author **Joy Blue** would love some reviews anyway. The story, **Let the Reason be Love** is a great AU.

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Fallen Virtue


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